CVE-2017-2868 in Xltek NeuroWorks
Summary
by MITRE
An exploitable code execution vulnerability exists in the NewProducerStream functionality of Natus Xltek NeuroWorks 8. A specially crafted network packet can cause a stack buffer overflow resulting in code execution. An attacker can send a malicious packet to trigger this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/27/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2868 represents a critical stack buffer overflow flaw within the NewProducerStream functionality of Natus Xltek NeuroWorks 8 software. This medical device software, designed for neurological monitoring and data acquisition, contains a programming error that manifests when processing network packets through its streaming interface. The flaw resides in how the application handles incoming data within the producer stream mechanism, creating an opportunity for remote code execution through carefully crafted network traffic.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and memory management within the NeuroWorks 8 application's network processing components. When the system receives a specially crafted packet designed to exploit the buffer overflow condition, the application fails to properly bounds-check the incoming data before copying it into a fixed-size stack buffer. This oversight allows an attacker to overwrite adjacent stack memory locations, potentially corrupting the return address and function pointers that control program execution flow. The vulnerability specifically affects the NewProducerStream functionality, which serves as a critical interface for data transmission between neurophysiological monitoring equipment and the central processing software.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond typical network security concerns given the medical environment in which NeuroWorks 8 operates. A successful exploitation could enable an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the target system with the privileges of the running process, potentially leading to complete system compromise. In healthcare settings, this represents a significant risk as the compromised system could be used to manipulate patient monitoring data, disrupt critical medical services, or gain access to sensitive health information. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors could potentially exploit this vulnerability from external networks without requiring physical access to the medical equipment, making it particularly concerning for healthcare organizations with connected medical devices.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow, which is classified under the Common Weakness Enumeration framework as a fundamental programming error that occurs when data is written beyond the boundaries of a fixed-length buffer allocated on the stack. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability maps to multiple ATT&CK tactics including initial access through network infiltration and execution through code injection techniques. The attack surface is particularly concerning for healthcare organizations as it demonstrates how legacy medical device software may contain unpatched vulnerabilities that persist for extended periods. Organizations should implement immediate network segmentation to isolate critical medical devices, deploy intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious network traffic patterns, and establish robust patch management processes to address such vulnerabilities in medical equipment. The incident also highlights the importance of security assessments for medical devices in healthcare environments, as these systems often operate with limited security updates and may not undergo the same rigorous security testing as commercial software products.